TYM Holds Spring Retreat Themed "This is Our Story"

TYM traveled to Kure Beach to reflect on and strengthen their relationship with God through storytelling.

Seven members of the Holy Infant Total Youth Ministry (TYM) traveled with three youth leaders to Agape Faith Center in Kure Beach, NC for a weekend retreat. The retreat centered on the theme of Storytelling with underlying notes of The Paschal Triduum woven through.

These quotes from The Healing Art of Storytelling by Richard Stone provide a good summary of the storytelling theme: “The healing touch of storytelling reaches deeply into the listener’s heart as well, indelibly imprinting there the mark of the story and its message, weaving the listener into the dance of community. …Listening is soul work. It can help the living find the meaning to go on in the midst of trying circumstances, and it can help the dying accept the brevity of their lives. Without stories, we cannot complete the unfinished work of healing. …Such is the stuff of empathy – the glue that holds families and cultures together. Without having to experience the dire consequences of another’s actions, we enter into the lessons and meaning a particular experience embodied by simply hearing the story. In this way, another’s healing journey can create a space of healing within us.”

Retreat sessions included discussion on personal stories, how culture and influences shape those stories and how the stories in the Bible affect us and lead us into relationship with God. The attendees explored storytelling in many different art forms: skits, collages, sand art and painting.

The youth took time to witness God through wonder and awe, waking up at 7 AM to watch the sunrise over the ocean. They even braved the chilly water to have some fun in the ocean.

On Sunday, the group attended Mass at Immaculate Conception, an Oblate parish in Wilmington, NC. Former Holy Infant Pastor John McGee, who is now Pastor at Immaculate Conception, led the Mass.